Iranian Labor Activist Gets 3 Years for Criticizing Supreme Leader
Iranian labor activist Mohammad Davari was arrested and transferred to Adelabad Prison to begin a three-year sentence on charges of "insulting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei."
Iranian labor activist Mohammad Davari was arrested and transferred to Adelabad Prison to begin a three-year sentence on charges of "insulting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei."
In December 2023, Judge Mahmoud Sadati, who presided over the first branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in the city of Shiraz, issued Davari's sentence.
Alongside the prison term, Davari faces a travel ban with passport cancellation, a prohibition on online activities, and a mandatory two-year residence in Bardsir County, Kerman.
Additionally, he was sentenced to an extra one and a half years for "propaganda against the system in favor of hostile groups online."
UN experts have long reported the absence of fair trials and judicial independence in Iran. Cases sent to the Islamic Revolutionary Courts are overseen by the regime’s security forces and intelligence apparatus.
Under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the Court handed down the maximum sentence of three years for "insulting the Supreme Leader".
Despite Khamenei’s public assurance in 2016 that criticism of him is acceptable, the charges leveled against Davari highlight the Iranian regime's intolerance toward dissent and its repressive measures against those who speak out.
Political activist Fatemeh Sepehri, vocal in her criticism of Khamenei, has been subjected to psychological torture and remains imprisoned since her arrest during the Women, Life, Freedom protests in 2022. Despite serious health issues and multiple surgeries, including open-heart surgery, Sepehri continues to be held
At this year’s opening of the Geneva Summit, Iran International’s journalist Pouria Zeraati issued a call to Western leaders, urging them to craft a new policy to back the Iranian people and confront the "terrorism stemming from the Islamic Republic of Iran."
“In this path, we all have a key role to play…so that the Iranian people’s great revolution, which began in September 2022, will become triumphant – and you, in the Western world, will no longer be threatened by a regime that is against basic human values,” Zeraati said.
Now in its 16th year, the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy is a leading annual event organized by a coalition of 25 NGOs. It convenes activists globally on the eve of the UN Human Rights Council's main session to bolster international awareness of human rights issues.
This year, Iran International was named the winner of the 2024 Geneva Summit Courage Award for "fearlessly” uncovering the daily “abuses of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Accepting the award alongside Zeraati on Wednesday, is Iran International’s executive editor, Aliasghar Ramezanpoor.
In his speech in Geneva on Tuesday, Ramezanpoor paid tribute to the “brave people of Iran” who he said “support Iran International’s work” by sharing their stories with the network.
“The truth comes from the people of Iran. It is in their voice. And the telling of it comes at great risk to their lives. I applaud their courage, which continues to inspire me and my colleagues in the work we do,” Ramezanpoor said.
Echoing a similar sentiment, Zeraati referenced the Iranian populaces’ persistent anti-regime sentiments.
“In the past two years, the people of Iran have made their demands explicitly clear on the Iranian streets. We need to hear their voices loud and clear,” he said.
Citing the Iranian people's contributions to the news outlet's coverage, often serving as citizen journalists, and documenting incidents to share them in the absence of an independent press in Iran, Ramezanpoor said that “their contribution during the Mahsa movement significantly enhanced our coverage of the unrest."
The Mahsa movement refers to the nationwide anti-regime protests that erupted in Iran after Mahsa Jina Amini died at the hands of the so-called morality police in 2022. In its crackdown on demonstrators, security forces killed at least 550 protesters, including dozens of children.
In that vein, Ramezanpoor and Zeraati emphasized the necessity of keeping international attention focused on the repression of protesters by authorities in Iran, the abuse of political prisoners, and the death penalty.
“Although often powerless to prevent such horrors, the need to talk truth to power has real meaning for people without power,” Ramezanpoor said.
The award is being given to Iran International almost 50 days after Zeraati was stabbed by unknown assailants, outside of his London home.
While British police stated it was premature to determine a motive for the crime, Zeraati's occupation, along with other threats to Iran International, prompted the involvement of the counterterrorism unit in investigating the attack.
“It was an attack on journalism. It was an attack on freedom of speech and an attack on our core liberal values in the West,” Zeraati stated. “This act of terror to silence and imitate us abroad gives a small glimpse of what the brave people of Iran face on an everyday basis.”
For many years, Iran International has faced threats from the Iranian government. Danger to the network’s employees escalated last year, with domestic security services unable to guarantee employee safety.
The network temporarily relocated its London offices to Washington, D.C.. Before the incident, Iran's intelligence minister had declared Iran International a terrorist organization, paving the way for all manner of actions against its journalists and broadcasters.
Ramezanpoor, who was convicted by the Iranian regime in absentia for “propaganda against the government,” stated at the summit: “I am happy to report that the ongoing attempts to stop us from broadcasting have not worked - we’re still on the air.”
The CEO of the controversial cloud tech firm ArvanCloud says Iran is grappling with internet disruptions due to cyberattacks, a claim that skeptics argue masks the Iranian regime’s own role in internet censorship.
Known for managing Iran's cloud services and a history of facilitating the regime in internet censorship, the firm has been sanctioned by the US.
Speaking about the continued internet outages plaguing the Iranian population recently, the firm’s CEO Pouya Pirhosseinloo appeared to shift the blame away from the state.
“Only the ministry of communications can comprehensively investigate the network, yet it seems that recent disruptions are due to widespread cyberattacks, with both the infrastructure and the ministry of communications failing to counter them effectively," he said.
A recent report by the Tehran E-commerce Association, however, has suggested that the country’s President Ebrahim Raisi has a significant role in Internet censorship by blocking websites and apps.
ArvanCloud, which commands 49% of Iran's cloud computing market, plays a pivotal role in hosting essential government websites, including those of the Presidency, IRNA news agency, and the Ministry of Culture.
The substantial control over Iran's cloud services places ArvanCloud at the center of allegations that it assists the regime in restricting internet access to quash dissent and control information.
During the Women, Life, Freedom protests, which erupted following the death of Mahsa Amini in “morality police” custody in 2022, the Iranian government severely limited access to popular social media platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp.
These platforms are crucial for organizing protest activities. The government's internet blocks during the protests hindered communication and economically impacted millions who rely on the digital platforms.
Pirhosseinloo's recent statements have not specified the sources of the alleged cyberattacks, leading to skepticism about their veracity.
Critics view the claims as a convenient diversion from the government's own actions—regularly implementing internet blackouts under the guise of national security, particularly during politically sensitive periods.
Last week, Iranian citizens shared voice messages with Iran International, voicing their frustrations and highlighting the significant impact of these disruptions.
According to a report by Filterbaan, an organization that monitors internet access in Iran, there have been substantial disruptions in access to various data centers across the country since last Sunday.
These actions, Filterbaan says, are part of a wider strategy to create a national information network that compels users to depend on domestic platforms and limits access to VPNs.
The disruptions come as Iran has recently faced significant international criticism for executing protesters and issuing death sentences, most notably to rapper Toomaj Salehi.
Despite facing sanctions, though it was recently removed from the EU sanctions list, the company remains a formidable force in Iran's internet landscape.
Cosmetics traders in Tehran's market shuttered their businesses in response to the recent hike in the country’s value-added tax.
Footage shared with Iran International depicts cosmetics shops in multiple malls closed on Monday in protest against the nation’s updated tax regulations.
The retailers also organized a demonstration outside the National Tax Administration building, where they called on their union to address their grievances.
The state-run news agency ISNA reported on the protest of cosmetic product sellers: "Since a large portion of the goods in this trade are imported through unofficial channels, no tax is paid on them. Meanwhile, official importers of the same goods pay value-added tax upon entry."
Similar strikes have been launched across the country by gold retailers and traders.
Information received by Iran International indicates that on Monday, gold jewelers in Tehran, Tabriz, Ardebil, Mashhad, and Kermanshah continued to refuse to open their shops.
Based on the newly introduced tax legislation, gold retailers are required to pay taxes on gold assets surpassing 150 grams.
Gold retailers have called for the complete elimination of the requirement to register information in the Comprehensive Trade System, which mandates that all manufacturers and sellers, both wholesale and retail, must record their transactions.
Experts say that the Islamic Republic, under the strain of international sanctions, is trying to increase its domestic revenues by collecting more taxes from various trades.
Analysts have warned that this could exacerbate inflation, which has already exceeded an annual rate of 50%, according to the Central Bank of Iran.
Although Malaysia refutes US claims of violating sanctions on Iranian oil trade, Iran International has obtained additional evidence suggesting that shipments to China are indeed originating from Malaysia.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on May 14 that there was "not one shred of evidence" of ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned Iranian oil off Malaysia, amid U.S. concern that Iran was using Malaysian service providers to move its oil.
A senior US Treasury Department official said last week the United States saw Iran's capacity to move its oil as being reliant on providers in Malaysia.
Despite China officially reporting "zero" Iranian oil imports in its customs statistics, it is importing approximately 1.5 million barrels per day of Iranian oil, according to all oil trade monitoring firms. This oil is often rebranded as originating from Malaysia, Iraq, Oman, and the UAE.
Statistical evidence
Chinese customs figures show that more than 1.1 million barrels of crude oil per day (mb/d) was imported from Malaysia last year, which is six times more than in 2018, when US started imposing oil export sanctions against Iran.
The most interesting fact is that the total daily oil production of Malaysia was about 650,000 b/d last year, 40% less than its export level to China. Furthermore, Malaysia’s own custom statistics put the total exports of crude oil and petroleum products at 186,000 b/d in 2023.
Kpler, an authoritative trade intelligence firm’s tanker tracking data shows Iran shipped 670,000 barrels per day (b/d) of oil to Malaysian waters in 2023.
A senior expert at Kpler told Iran International that the volume reached 800,000 b/d in 2024, which corresponds to more than 50% of Iran’s total oil export to China.
According to several reports in the past, Malaysian and international middlemen take the Iranian oil and after ship-to-ship transfers and rebranding, export the cargoes to China as Malaysian crude oil. Companies in Malaysia even advertise their expertise and infrastructurefor ship-to-ship transfers in open waters.
Tanker seizure
Malaysia seized an Indian and a Chinese tanker due to illegal ship-to-ship operations involving Iranian oil six months ago, after the advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), disclosed through satellite imagery that the two vessels were bypassing US sanctions.
Claire Jungman the chief of staff at UANI and tracker of tricky oil tankers, especially ones coming out of Iran, tweeted on October 25 that her organization identified the ARTEMIS III and Panama-flagged OCEAN HERMANA conducting an illegal ship-to-ship transfer of Iranian oil in the Riau Archipelago islands.
According to the ship tracking companies, ARTEMIS III is still at Riau Archipelago islands, while OCEAN HERMANA is located at East China Sea. It is not clear why Malaysia released the Chinese tanker, but still detains the Indian vessel.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency also reported on April 24 that a tanker was seized due to “illegal anchoring” with Iranian, Pakistani and Indian crew, without giving further information.
Malaysia’s fears and interests
China's customs statistics show that Beijing had $190 billion trade turnover with Malaysia last year. Malaysia exported nearly $103 billion to China and imported $87 billion from China.
China is Malaysia's largest trading partner; but the important point here is that the United States was also its third largest trading partner last year with $65 billion turnover, of which $46 billion was Malaysia’s exports to the US.
Iran has no significant place in Malaysia's foreign trade. The statistics from the Iranian Chamber of Commerce show that Iran exported about $247 million of goods to Malaysia and imported $613 million during last Iranian fiscal year, ending March 21.
Malaysia finds itself in a precarious position between China and the United States. Enforcing American sanctions against Iran could upset China, its largest trading partner. Conversely, ignoring these violations risks repercussions from the United States, its third-largest trading partner.
Iranian authorities have announced plans to establish an academic program that centers on the Islamic doctrine known as the "promotion of virtue and prevention of vice."
While the "promotion of virtue and prevention of vice" (PVPV) is a teaching rooted in the Quran and a guiding principle of behavior for Muslims, it also refers to a key Iranian regime institution tasked with determining and enforcing its strict Islamic behavioral norms in society.
This week, Mehran Samadi, the head of the PVPV Office, confirmed the launch of the new university program, which is intended for master's and doctoral levels of study.
Though he admitted that the PVPV’s work often focuses on the hijab and chastity, he emphasized that other areas also require attention and enforcement of Islamic principles.
The PVPV Office, also known as the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil, has been sanctioned by the EU over serious human rights violations.
In 2022, it was instrumental in setting new and stricter “morality” codes for women that are in clear violation of their human rights.
It also plays a central role in setting up the monitoring and often brutal sanctioning of women and men who do not respect these codes. The behavioral codes are subsequently brutally enforced by sanctioned entities, primarily the so-called morality police.
The news comes amid unprecedented discontent with the Islamic establishment. According to the most recent polling, the “Iranian populace has undergone a secularization and liberalization faster than any society in the Islamic world, despite having lived under the rule of Islamists for decades.”
Amidst that backdrop, the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, initiated the “Noor Plan” this year – a campaign aimed at stepping-up the already strict enforcement of hijab laws, which are considered by clerics a part of PVPV.
Under the directive, the “morality police” have increased their physical presence in Tehran’s central districts, patrolling the streets more frequently along with an expansion of the deployment of vans and motorcycle units.
The increased activity of law enforcement, including plainclothes agents, has led to a spike in violent confrontations, especially involving women who resist wearing the mandatory hijab.
The UN has labeled the Iranian authorities' crackdown on the hijab and the overall oppression of women as “gender apartheid”, while Amnesty International has called it a “War on Women”.
This renewed crackdown occurs nearly two years after the death of 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Jina Amini, who died in the custody of the "morality police" after sustaining severe head injuries allegedly for not wearing a "proper" hijab.
Amini's killing ignited the most substantial wave of anti-regime protests since the inception of the Islamic Republic in 1979.